Makati, Manila

Tuesday nights at V Bar (Bar Venezia) were pretty dope. They have an outdoor tent and bar set-up so that you can smoke outside (as smoking indoors in Makati is illegal) and get a drink at the same time. The inside plays some of the best r&b, hip hop and dancehall I've heard of any club in the Philippines.

Dress Code: Dress smart. No shorts, slippers, tank tops.

Going out in Makati is almost like going out in any western city!
The club or pubs are pretty much similar...

The Hard Rock cafe is the perfect example of a Western symbol. You usually have to pay an intrance including two drinks! Good or bad, it act as a filter and you don't find the same kind of people you would find in some other place...

Not far from there, the Green Belt is a complex with many restaurants, pubs, clubs...
Notably at the ground floor, you should find the Havana, a club with Latino music. Usually during the week, you can see lots of good dancers. However it looks like during the WE, it is packed and is indeed a meeting point for old westerners looking for an easy girl...

At the last floor, you'd find the Absinth, the atmosphere there is considerably different, electronic music rules here...

In the same area, you'll also find plenty of nices places to have a drink or dance...

Obviously they are not the kind of places where you would meet average locals, they are way too much expensive for them. If you do meet any local people there, they will either be quite rich/working abroad or girls interested by your money...

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The only certified "superclub" in the Philippines, Embassy a huge white structure that stands out among the buildings located at the Fort Strip in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

The newly-renovated Embassy is made up of three venues: Embassy Cafeteria, a restaurant open til the wee hours in the morning serves as the perfect venue for dousing the ten shots of tequila you haphazardly took; Embassy Cuisine, a chill out lounge that serves more upscale dishes such as sushi, salmon and rib-eye; and Embassy Club itself, which also has three divisions: the main room, where anything from trance to house to hip-hop is played; the Champagne (formerly the VIP) room is a smaller, more intimate area that plays deep house, chillout and 90s music on some nights; and the VVIP room, an invitation-only area behind the elevated DJ's booth.

Celebrities, society figures, yuppies, college students and expats are among the 2,500 that flock the venue every Wednesday to Saturday.

Dress Code: Only the chic and fashion-forward can enter. A "door ***" screens the people that come in (though I haven't seen her for a while). Women can get away with anything except rubber flip-flops but men can not wear caps, sleeveless shirts, shorts or sneakers.

Greenbelt 3 is a new addition to the Ayala Center complex. Here you find restaurants, bars and clubs for the young, the hip, the restless?...
If you want a night on the town to see a genuine mix of locals and expats, this is the place to go.

Dress Code: Dress smart! People in Makati look good.

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They say some of the best places are "off the beaten path". Saguijo is one of them. Found along Guijo St. in the residential Makati suburb of San Antonio (Sa means "at" + Guijo = Sa Guijo). An old house that was converted into a venue for watching the best indie musicians, Saguijo's enclave of resident artists have transformed the place into an art lover's mecca.

Aside from aural indulgences (take your pick from metal, indie rock, disco punk, electronica, acid jazz, stinq quartets and hip-hop) from at least 5 bands per night, the second floor is home to the Theo Gallery, a quaint home to some of the best up-and-coming Filipino talents and Baul (which means "treasure chest"), a shop that sells vintage fashion as well as consigned items from young, avant-garde designers. Baul used to be the iloveyou store, which now moved beside gay bar Government.

Definitely the place to go to if you're in for a dose of art, live music, laid-back atmosphere and free-spirited company. Some nights have themes, such as Karaoke Night, Prom Night, Punk Goes Pop Night, etc. so be open to anything!

There is a cover charge of P 100 (USD 2), inclusive of a local beer. Very very cheap.

Dress Code: Come as you are. Some people even enter with their house clothes on (ie. shorts, tank tops, flip flops). The less articles of clothing, the better as it tends to get really hot during popular nights.

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An art masterpiece on its own, the M Cafe at Greenbelt 3 in Makati City is officially known as Museum Cafe, as it is housed under the new Ayala Museum. Boasting of sleek white and wood interiors mixed with original contemporary Filipino art, this is certainly a destination for a classy night out.

Dress Code: Dress to impress. Although there is no "dress code" expressed, come casual at your own risk. People are stylish - frequent haunt of haute couture fans and people from the fashion industry. M Cafe is situated in the same building as Louis Vuitton et al.

Saturday nights at Jaipur are pretty dope. Its the place to see and be seen. It gets really friggin hot inside, and you'll probably sweat real bad, but that shouldn't really matter cuz everyone else will too. hahaha.

Dress Code: no dress code... but don't walk in looking like a bum.

In Makati area I suggest:
- Bistro 110, Palanca St, good drinks, music and food;
- Pipers, aslso in Palanca St, small place very agreable
- V. or Venezia, disco, place to see and be seen, expensive drinks, lots of foreigners, Glorieta area
- DreamBar, an option after Venezia, same tip
- Orange - disco place, Makati Avenue, nice on friday nights
- Pravda wine bar and rest, nice bar, beautiful people, expensive drinks, best day to go is wednesday and saturday, near Jupiter St
- Wherelse - dico as well, in the Intercom Hotel, Glorieta area
- Matti, nice bar outdoor tables, good food, Rockwell area
- Che, beside Matti
- The Craic, Irish Pub in Jupiter, Quizz night on wednesdays, full of foreigners, nice place to watch the formula 1 races on sunday nights, tip try the Craic chips!
- Heckle and Jackle, to play pool and get some girls, nice food

Dress Code: Casual